We Want You to Watch

‘This is about pornography … we want to pull its plug out. We want to stop its heartbeat. We want to blow its brains out and begin again.’ This play is about the negative impact of internet pornography, and the dream of removing all such material from the internet. But as the play develops, it is clear that the link between pornography and the internet is so ingrained that really it is the internet that needs to start again.

The theme is developed through a series of loosely connected scenes. If you’ve seen Secret Theatre, or Third Angel, that’s the sort of theatre you’re getting. A loose central thread, strong on imagery, physical theatre and dance, clever use of music. Above all, the ability to develop an emotional response to a difficult subject matter where your feelings are built throughout the play, perhaps without you knowing. At times this play is disturbing and uncomfortable. At other times you’re laughing, but maybe you don’t want to.

The play opens with an interrogation of a man suspected of a sexually motivated murder, accused of copying what he’s seen online. Everyone does it, is his defence; it’s a clear statement of where the play is going. The Queen is asked to sign an order banning pornography; the idea is good but the scene is too obvious. From there the issues become unclear, but the theatre more interesting. The two leads are superb, driving the ideas forward with energy and physicality, honesty and pace. Can there ever be a resolution? The contradictions and challenges come out.

Overall it’s a complex piece of work that leaves you with a feeling of discomfort and uncertainty, an emotional response that you are forced to continually reconsider after the play has finished. Theatre should be about creating an emotional response to a difficult subject.